Brother's Keeper
by The Confused One
Summary: Bobby's brother brings trouble with him when he tries to reconnect with Bobby. BA and MC
1. Brotherly Visit

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 1

By: The Confused One

Summary: When Bobby's brother shows up and Bobby flips out, Alex desperately tries to find out what's going on before someone gets hurt.

Rating: T

Warnings: A little language and sexual references in later chapters, but nothing severe.

Reviews: Yes, please. I live for reviews. Thanks.

Archive: Just let me know where you're posting it so I can come visit it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing resembling anything to do with CI. I have no money, and I'm not making any from this, so please don't sue.

A/N: OK, this is another chapter fic that I couldn't get out of my head. So, I hope everyone enjoys it.

Sitting at her desk going through some paperwork looking for a report, Alex didn't even notice anyone walk up to her until they cleared their throat. Looking up, she greeted the stranger, "Hi. Can I help you?"

David regarded her for a moment. He knew he was right. It was her. He hesitantly explained, "My. My name is David Goren. I'm Bobby's brother. I was just. Is he here?"

Alex tried to hide the shock that she felt. She had never even seen a picture of Bobby's older brother. Bobby had told her once it was because he never spoke to his brother and didn't like reminders of him. He had also divulged to her that he had the pictures hidden away somewhere. Watching him, she saw it. His mannerisms, everything, reminded her of Bobby. Finally finding her voice, she answered, "Yeah. He went to get a file downstairs. He'll be right back. I'm Alex Eames, his partner."

David nodded and smiled now. He wasn't feeling quite as nervous. He wasn't sure how Bobby was going to react to seeing him. It had been over five years since they had seen or spoken to each other. David had gotten his life straightened out and wanted to make things up to his little brother. He replied, "It's nice to meet you. I heard a little about you and saw a picture of you when I was looking for him. That's why, uh, I knew it was you. He was in narcotics last time we spoke."

Alex arched her eyebrows. She pointed to the desk across from hers, she explained, "That's Bobby's desk. You can sit down there if you want."

David decided, instead, to inspect everything that was on the desk. He spoke as he did it, "I don't know what he's told you, how much you know about the last time I was in the city, but I really just want to make it up to him. I've got a real job, here in the city now."

Feeling like maybe she could get some more information from him, Alex pushed a little, "No. He hasn't told me much of anything about you. What happened between you two?"

David looked up hesitantly. He finally asked, "How long have you been his partner?"

With a sigh, Alex dutifully answered, "Five and a half years. Bobby doesn't like talking about you. So, I'm curious. What happened?"

Bobby walked off the elevator and headed into the bullpen. Looking up, he saw David and then red. Marching over to his desk, Bobby grabbed David by the collar before David could answer Alex. Bobby had a few inches on his brother. Slamming David into the gun lockers, Bobby was shaking. He hissed, "You ever come near her again, if you ever step foot into this building again, I'll kill you!"

Bobby didn't even notice most of the rest of the squad trying to pry him off of David. Seething he stared into David's eyes. Through the fog, he finally heard Alex yelling his name and telling him to stop and get off David. It grounded Bobby again. Finally letting go, Bobby met her eyes for a moment. For the first time ever, he saw fear.

Watching David walk away, Mike Logan demanded from Bobby, "What the hell was that?"

Bobby finally looked away, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Alex was about to reach out to him. She stepped towards him, but he took off to the stairs and left. Hearing Deakins come out of his office demanding to know what happened, Alex was relieved when someone covered, saying it was nothing.

Carolyn, shaken, asked Alex, "What happened there?"

Shaking her head, Alex stared at the stairs still. She assured her, "I don't know, but I intend to find out. I've never seen him like that."

Carolyn watched quietly as Alex headed for the elevators to find Bobby and answers.


	2. Trouble Brewing

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 2

By: The Confused One

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter in this fic. Hopefully this will give everyone a few answers. Hope you enjoy, and please remember to review. Thanks.

Alex took a deep breath and banged on Bobby's door. After a moment, when no one answered, she banged again and yelled, "Don't make use my key Bobby! Let me in! You're not going to hide from me!"

Deciding he wasn't going to get rid of her, Bobby finally answered the door. He stared blankly at her and assured her, "I'm fine, and I don't really want to talk about it."

Irritated, Alex sighed and pushed her way inside. She curtly responded, "Too bad. I want to talk about it."

Closing his eyes, Bobby didn't move. He tried again, "Eames."

Alex shook her head. Turning to face him, she wished he'd turn to face her. She wanted him to look at her. She pushed a little, "What was that Bobby? What happened between you two?"

Taking a deep breath, Bobby finally closed and locked his door. He realized he wasn't going to get her to back off without talking some. Turning to face her, he spoke softly, "I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to scare you. I saw him with you, and I just flipped."

Alex shook her head. She assured him, "I wasn't scared of you. I could never be scared of you. I was scared for you. I've never seen you like that. Talk to me, please. What did he do to get a reaction like that from you?"

Bobby sighed. Rubbing his face, he sat down at his couch. He responded, "It really doesn't matter now. I'm not getting involved again, and I don't want you involved either. Promise me you'll stay away from him."

Alex shook her head. Still confused, she promised, "Alright. I won't see him. Just. Please, tell me what's going on."

Meeting her eyes, Bobby elaborated a little, "David's dangerous. Last time, it was bad. I lost it, thinking of what could happen to you if he got your attention."

Angry and frustrated Alex snapped, "Damn it Bobby! If you don't start being specific I might go find him to get the story."

Bobby's eyes snapped to hers again. Desperate, he practically begged, "Please don't Alex. I'm begging you. People died last time he showed up asking for help. That's why I walked away, and I won't let whatever he's into get you hurt. I won't."

Alex was shocked. She wasn't expecting that. With a nod, she promised, again, "Alright. I'll stay away from him. He said he cleaned up his life Bobby. He said he had a job here in the city, and he said he wanted to make things up to you. Please Bobby. Don't shut me out. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

Bobby shook his head. He assured her, "I don't need help. I'm not dealing with him anymore. I don't care if he's staying in town and cleaning up his act or not. I'm not talking to him. I'm not reaching out to him."

Alex nodded. She sighed and sat down in front of him on the coffee table. Taking his hands, she tried to calm him down, "Listen to me. Whatever happened, we're OK. I'm worried about you now, not the past. If you want to talk to me, you know where I am."

Bobby nodded. He watched her get up and leave. He took a ragged breath and leaned back on the couch. Getting up, he went to get a beer. He desperately hoped this was as far as it was going to go. He didn't need the past colliding with his present.

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David sighed as he entered his apartment. Depressed, he plopped down on the couch. Things hadn't gone anywhere close to how he had wanted them to. All he wanted was to get his brother back. He mused that he should have known how he'd react. The knock at the door got his attention.

Opening the door, the color drained from his face. He stumbled through is words, "Kane. Hi. I. I didn't, expect to, see you."

Kane punched David in the face. Kane walked in and closed the door. Standing over him, he angrily replied, "I know you didn't. You managed to skip out on your debt for six months Goren. It's time to pay up."

David grunted as Kane kicked in the stomach. He painfully replied, "Please. I can get the money. I just need a little time."

Kane shrugged and argued, "Well, David, you skipped out on your debt six months ago, why should we give you anymore time?"

David struggled to speak. He begged, "Because I can give you double what I owe. My. My brother has money. I'll get it from him."

Kane nodded. Kane liked where this was going. If David didn't come through, well, maybe this brother could be leaned on enough to cough up the money owned to his boss. Kicking David again, he replied, "That's good David. That's a good idea. What's the name of this brother?"

David struggled to breathe now. He wheezed out, "I. I can't. Just. I promise I'll get the money from him."

Kane nodded. Kicking him one more time for good measure, he threatened, "You better not disappear on me again David boy, or you won't survive our next meeting. You have three days to get the money, or you won't like the consequences."

After a few moments, David was able to finally stand up again. He took shallow breaths and sat down on the couch. He put his face in his hands, fearing what might happen next. He didn't know how he was going to get Bobby's help, after everything, but he knew he was going to have to find a way.


	3. Parking Garage Confrontation

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 3

By: The Confused One

A/N: Well, here is the next chapter. I'm finally mostly happy with it, and I hope all of you will be too. Also, hopefully some of the pieces of what happened before will start to fall into place. Please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks. Also, SPECIAL thanks to Infinitystar for reading this over for me.

David sighed with relief as he watched Bobby get out of his car. He approached him as fast as possible, and yelled his name, "Bobby!"

Bobby stopped. Turning to see David, his anger rose again. He bitterly hissed, "What are you doing here? Did I not make myself clear yesterday?"

David took a deep breath. He tried to make Bobby understand, "I'm sorry. I should have warned you I was back in the City first, but I need your help."

Bobby seethed, but he kept himself in check. He spat back, "Good cops died the last time I helped you, David! Why the hell would I even think about helping you again?"

David's breath was shaky. He desperately pleaded, "It's not like that this time, Bobby. I swear. After what happened, I cleaned up. You have no idea how I feel about what happened that day. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. You have to know that. I slipped though seven months ago. I owe them sixty thousand dollars. I didn't have the money, so I skipped out six months ago. I came here, got a job, but Stryker's collector, Kane found me last night. He's going to kill me, Bobby, if I don't come up with the money in the next three days. You have to help me. I swear, never again. I just need this one last bail out."

Bobby clenched his jaw. He wasn't the least bit surprised that David needed another bail out. That was all David ever ended up wanting. Bobby tried to keep things calm and civil. He tried not to let his anger get to him. He finally replied, "I don't have that kind of money, even if I wanted to give it to you."

David sighed. He reminded him, "I know. But mom. Mom does, and you have access to mom's money."

Bobby's anger and indignation rose again, "No! I am not giving you sixty thousand dollars of someone else's money. I'm not stealing that money from mom so that you can pay your gambling debt!"

David, desperate, pleaded, "What do you really owe her, Bobby? She nearly killed you when we were teenagers that time. I was there for you. I'm begging here. I promise to pay it back to her. I'll take care of it. I just need it, as sort of a loan."

Bobby's anger reached its boiling point. Keeping himself from hitting David, he slammed his fists into his car before yelling, "She can't help the things she does and says, David! You know that! You, though! You chose your path in life! Don't you dare stand there and tell me I should steal from our mother because I owe you more! I owe you nothing after last time!"

Alex got out of her car and immediately heard the yelling. She recognized his voice and walked as fast as she could towards it. Seeing Bobby and David staring each other down, she stopped.

David yelled back, "It was your plan and your guys!"

Bobby got inches from his face. He continued to yell, "You don't think I know that? I've never forgiven myself for it, and I never will."

Worried, Alex hurried over and put herself between them and yelled at Bobby, "What's going on here?"

David watched as Alex just stared his brother down. He was impressed. He knew then that he definitely liked her. She wasn't afraid of Bobby. When it became obvious that Bobby wasn't going to answer, David did, "I was asking for some help that he doesn't want to give."

Bobby met David's eyes. He argued, "You want to steal sixty thousand dollars from our mother, to pay your gambling debt."

David sighed. He argued back, "She wouldn't even miss it. She'd want me to have it, and you know it, Bobby. I told you I'd pay it back."

Bobby's agitation grew again. Pacing he argued, "I don't care. I would know. Don't do this to me, David. Don't make me choose between you and mom."

Alex sighed. Turning to face David, she insisted, "You need to go, David. You're not going to get any money from him, and you don't deserve the money. You told me you were clean. I was telling him that!"

David refused to move, despite what Alex said, or maybe it was because of what Alex said. Desperate, he focused on Bobby and tried one more time, "You want me dead, Bobby? He'll kill me if I don't get this money. Is that what you want?"

Bobby flinched and turned on his heel to face David. He visibly calmed down a little and admitted, "I don't want you dead, David. Even after…I don't want you dead, but I won't steal money from mom's accounts."

David saw hope now. After a moment, he ventured, "I don't have the money either, Bobby, and I made him come find me. He won't accept installments. He's going to kill me if I don't come up with the money."

Alex was furious now herself. As far as she was concerned, Bobby carried around enough guilt for things that weren't his fault. He didn't need more. She yelled at David, "Yesterday, you told me you were clean. Now you need money? Don't put this on your brother."

David tried to make her understand, "I've been clean. I. It was one time."

Alex took a deep breath. Remembering that this was Bobby's brother, she knew she couldn't write him off. She couldn't let something happen to David. She wracked her brain for a way to help. She began to reply, "We can figure something…"

David sighed and interrupted her, "Forget it. Don't worry about it. I'm leaving."

Alex watched stunned as Bobby watched David leave. She got his attention, "Bobby... we can't let him go out there on his own."

Bobby continued to stare after David. He knew she had a point, but he had yet to react to her words at all. He was still stunned to see David leave. He wondered if David had changed. David had never backed off before. David had never seemed to care how his problems affected others. When she reached out and touched his arm, Bobby flinched and pulled away. He met her eyes. He could see the worry in her eyes. He finally replied, "I'm sorry. I promise, I'm OK. I'll talk to him, once we get off. I'll handle this. Please… stay out of it. I don't want you anywhere near this."

Alex sighed. Frustrated, she demanded, "What happened Bobby? Why are you so afraid of me helping you? I swear I heard something about, cops. Is that who died? You set up a sting to try to help him? If that's what happened…they were doing their job, Bobby. Please talk to me."

Bobby sighed. He vaguely pushed the questions away, "I can't Eames. You're better off not knowing. Just… please stay out of this."

Noting that he didn't deny her statements, Alex sighed in exasperation. She countered, "You're knee-deep Bobby. I'm your partner, and that means, like it or not, I'm involved. And I'm not walking away from you or whatever is going on between you two. I thought you trusted me. There isn't anything you could tell me that would change anything between us. I promise. What are you afraid of?"

Bobby began to pace again. He pushed her away, "I do trust you. I swear I do, but I'm trying to protect you, and I can't talk about this anymore. We need to go upstairs."

Beyond frustrated, Alex wanted answers, and Bobby wasn't going to give her any. She decided that he wasn't going to tell her, she'd have to find someone who would. She began walking the other way, replying, "I have to take a drive, Bobby. I'll be back."

Bobby closed his eyes. He wanted to call out to her, and make her understand that he does trust her. He wanted to make it up to her, but he knew. To do those two things he'd have to tell her the story, and he couldn't do that. He couldn't tell her the truth yet. He might not ever be able to tell her the truth because of what else he knew. He knew that she'd never forgive him for it, and he needed her. And even though he'd never admit it to anyone but himself, he loved her, and he couldn't let her get hurt, and he couldn't deal with the pain of her walking away from their partnership. He was sure she would if she ever found out the truth. He had been holding his breath for over five years now hoping she wouldn't ever figure it out. He was prepared to hold his breath forever if that is what it took to keep her beside him. Grabbing his things, he headed for the elevators. He was going to have to explain Alex's absence and look up David's address when he got upstairs. He hoped she could just drop the whole mess when she got back. For both of their sakes, he wanted her to be able to let it go. That was the only way he could fulfill his promise to Alex's husband's grave, a man Bobby only met three times.

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Joseph "Joey" Kane started his car. He had watched the scene unfold in the garage from afar with binoculars. He was seething with anger, convinced that David was setting him up. He was convinced that David had met with two detectives to discuss a deal. It was the only reason Joey could see for David to meet with cops. Joey only knew one way to deal with snitches. He was going to have to get ahead of the cops and deal with David first.


	4. Demanding Answers

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 4

By: The Confused One

A/N: I'm happy to have this chapter up and ready. Again, special thanks go out to InfinityStar. She's been wonderful and doing some great beta work for me. It wouldn't be nearly as good without her. Please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks.

Alex was still angry when she walked into the shop. She was going to demand answers, no matter what. Looking at one of the mechanics, she introduced herself, "Hi. I'm looking for Lewis."

The mechanic looked her over and pointed to an office. He replied, "He's in there."

Mumbling a thanks Alex proceeded to the door. After she knocked, she heard a familiar voice say to come in. Opening the door, she smiled and greeted Lewis, "Hi, Lewis."

Lewis smiled. He stood and replied, "Alex. It's nice to see you. Is Bobby with you?"

Alex sighed and shook her head no and asked, "And he can't know. OK?"

Lewis was a little nervous now. He didn't like secrets. Hesitantly he nodded yes. He replied, "Alright. Does this mean you've changed your mind and want to have dinner with me?"

Alex laughed now. She appreciated the humor. Sitting down, she explained, "No. This is about Bobby and David, Lewis. He showed up yesterday. He's apparently been in New York for months. He's trying to drag Bobby into helping him with a gambling debt. I need to know what happened the last time David was in town. You're Bobby's oldest and best friend. I know you know what happened."

Lewis paled a little and became visibly agitated. He stumbled over his words, "Whatever David wants…it's not good. Keep him away from Bobby, but I can't tell you, Alex. I can't tell you what happened. I…promised Bobby I wouldn't. You know how hard it is to get his trust."

Alex growled in frustration. She understood, but she was getting tired of getting the run around by everyone, especially Bobby. She angrily replied, "This is ridiculous! Everywhere I turn, I'm getting stonewalled. I can't get anything from anyone. Bobby won't talk to me, Lewis, and I'm worried about him. What the hell happened?"

Lewis sighed. He sat back down in his chair. Leaning back into the chair, regretfully replied, "Knowing David, it's new. You don't need to know what happened before. Just watch his back. Bad things happen when David is around."

Rubbing her face, she tried again, "Lewis…I can't help him if I don't know what I'm walking into."

Lewis threw his hands up, and begged, "My hands are tied, Alex. You have to make Bobby tell you. Just... please make sure he's OK."

Alex closed her eyes. This was getting her nowhere. She tried one more time, "He's afraid of something, Lewis. Something is making him keep me at arms length. I can't help him unless he lets me. I don't want anything to happen to him either, but I can't make sure he's OK when I don't know what's going on. I have to know what he's afraid of."

Lewis looked at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He explained, "He's afraid of losing you. He's afraid you're going to leave if you find out."

Alex, for the first time, met his eyes. She knew he was right. She assured him, "But nothing could be that bad. I'm not going to walk away from him. I don't understand what could be so bad."

Lewis sighed. He argued, "I'll be honest, Alex, I'm not sure how you'll react when he tells you. If you feel about him how he feels about you, then you'll work it out. But I'm not the one you need to convince. Please talk to him."

Alex stared in surprise. Trying to repressing her own feelings, she let her curiosity got the better of her, "How he feels about me? How does he feel about me, Lewis?"

Flustered, Lewis countered, "Ask him. I can't tell you anymore, Alex."

Alex sighed and shook her head. Her hopes were momentarily dashed. Getting up, she relented, "It's alright. I understand. I'll see you later."

Lewis sighed too and watched her leave. He was extremely worried. He wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. He wasn't sure he ever wanted to agree to keep another secret in his life. He had too many to keep up with, and while he wanted to call Bobby and make sure he was OK, he knew he couldn't. Bobby would know Alex had been there. Lewis tried to focus on work again, knowing that Bobby would call him and tell him what was going on soon. He knew Bobby well enough to know that much.

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Sitting down, she met Bobby's questioning eyes. She explained, "I went to visit a friend. I'll drop it for now."

Bobby was relieved but suspicious. He was afraid she was going to try to drag him somewhere quiet and force the story from him. He gratefully took the reprieve though, and informed her, "I told Deakins you were talking to an informant."

Alex smiled slightly. Meeting his eyes, she replied, "Thanks."

Bobby nodded. Getting up, he asked, "Coffee?"

Alex smiled even more and replied, "Please."

She watched him walk away. Seeing her chance, she looked David up. She wasn't surprised when she found several David Gorens. She printed the list in time to take the coffee from him, with thanks. Alex was convinced that she could get the story from David. He was her last hope, before she had to corner Bobby again at home and force the truth out of him.

Alex spent the rest of the day trying to avoid Bobby's suspicion. She purposely made sure she finished her paperwork first and early. She was relieved that she beat Bobby out and that Deakins had let her go. She didn't even notice the worried and confused expression on Bobby's face as she left.

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David arrived home from work, only to be thrown to the ground by Joey the moment he walked into the door. Kicking David, Joey pulled out a knife. Jerking David off the ground, Joey pinned him against the wall. He put the knife to David's throat and demanded, "What were you doing with the cops? Were you setting me up?"

Terrified, David tried to explain, "No. No. I swear. I was meeting my brother. He's a cop. I was asking for the money."

Joey pushed the tip in just a little further to punctuate his point. He demanded more, "What's his name?"

David winced and admitted, "Robert Goren."

Alex knocked on the door. It was the last address, and she was sure it was the right one, finally. No one answered. She knocked again, calling out, "David, it's Detective Eames. I'd like to talk to you."

Joey looked up from David at Alex's voice. Angry, he stuck David in the gut with the knife, determined that David wasn't going to live long enough to identify him.

Hearing David yell, Alex drew her gun. Trying the door, she was only a little surprised when it opened. She knew this was bad on many levels.


	5. Ultimatum

Brother's Keeper: Ch.5

By: The Confused One

A/N: I'd like to thank InfinityStar for reading over this for me, again. She's been a lifesaver. Everyone enjoy, and please remember to review. Thanks.

Alex threw the door open. Scanning the room, she saw David bleeding unconscious on the ground. Noticing the door to the deck open, Alex cursed David's first story apartment. Calling for a bus, she checked the apartment, making sure no one else was there.

Getting back to David, she grabbed a towel from the kitchen and tried to stop the bleeding. She held the towel there in silence, hoping for Bobby's sake that David survived. No matter how angry Bobby was, David was all the family he had left. She didn't want that taken from Bobby. She only moved when the paramedics and other cops began swarming the room and building.

Giving her statement, she watched the paramedics prepared to move David. Excusing herself from the detectives, she caught up with them as they were loading him up onto the rig, asking, "Can I go with him? He's my partner's brother."

Relieved when one of them nodded, Alex jumped into the truck. Alex still resented what David had tried to get Bobby to do earlier, but she felt a sense of duty to take care of him. She didn't want to let Bobby down.

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Arriving at the hospital, Alex stayed outside and made the call she was dreading. She knew he was going to furious with her for looking for David. She imagined he was in his car by now, headed to the apartments on the list. Yet, despite her anxiety about having to tell Bobby what happened she was relieved when he answered his phone, "Hey."

Alex closed her eyes and just said it, "I know you told me not to, and I know I promised I wouldn't, but I went to see David. You need to get to North Central Bronx Hospital, Bobby. He's been stabbed. He was unconscious when they brought him in, and he's not very stable. It doesn't look good."

Bobby's heart nearly caught in his throat. He began to panic. Pulling over to the side of the road, he went pale and yelled, "Damn it, Eames!" Feeling his stress and agitation level rise, he demanded, "Are you OK?"

Alex nodded. Realizing he couldn't see her, she answered, "Yeah. I'm fine. I didn't even see the guy. It's David, Bobby."

It was easier for Bobby to be angry than worried. He argued, "What were you doing there after you promised me you'd stay away?"

Irritated that he was picking a fight, she yelled, "I was trying to find out what the hell happened seven years ago! You won't tell me, and I'm worried about you. What am I supposed to do, Bobby? Just wait and see if you make it out of this alive?"

Bobby took a deep breath. He knew she had a point. Trying to calm down, he finally replied, "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."

Alex closed her eyes again. Closing her phone, she took a deep breath and walked inside to find a seat and wait. She was reminded of the night her husband, Shane, had died. She wasn't surprised. This was the first time she had been in a hospital waiting room since that night. She had avoided them. Sitting down, she let the memories come.

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Bobby walked into the waiting room. Meeting her eyes, he sighed with some relief. Just seeing her in one piece calmed him down a lot. Maybe he hadn't totally failed Shane. He watched her up, and he met her halfway. Panic began to build again when he saw the blood. He asked, "Are you sure you're OK? You have blood..."

Alex sighed and interrupted, "Its David's blood." Relieved when he stopped, she continued, "I'm fine. I didn't even see the guy. I told you that."

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck and nodded slightly. He was relieved again. He was almost back to his normal level of agitation. Seeing her eased his mind. Sitting down, he asked, "How is he?"

Alex sat down beside him. She put her hand on his and explained, "The last time there were over here, they told me they stopped the bleeding. They're trying to repair the damage now."

Bobby nodded slightly again. He apologized, "I'm sorry. I heard David, you, and stabbed, and I freaked out."

Alex nodded. She asked, "Yeah. I noticed that. What is about him and me that sends you into such a tailspin?"

Bobby took a deep breath. He wasn't going to tell her here. He just couldn't. He practically begged, "Don't."

Alex turned to face him. She took her hand away and insisted, "You're the one who demanded I stay away from David. You were furious that I was even there at his apartment, but you won't tell me anything. It's making absolutely no sense to me. You don't think I understand how badly stings can go wrong? It's how I lost Shane. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault."

Shaking his head, Bobby refused to talk still. He refused to look at her. He finally replied, "I'm not going to put you in the middle of this."

Alex felt like screaming. At the end of her rope, she played the only card she knew she had left, "I talked to Lewis this morning. He wouldn't tell me what happened, but he said you were afraid of losing me. I'm going to tell you this right now. If you can't or won't trust me and open up, you will lose me. I'll walk out that door and get a new partner. I can't watch this. I can't watch and sit on my hands while you are in obvious danger. This guy is probably going to come after you, too. I can't sit around, pretend I know nothing, and worry that I'm going to get another call in the middle of the night saying someone else I love is in the emergency room. I won't do it again. You have to choose right now. You can lose me for sure, or you can trust me enough to know I won't walk away and let me help you."


	6. The Truth

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 6

By: The Confused One

A/N: Well, the secret is finally revealed, along with some of what happened that night. Please enjoy and review. Thanks. Hopefully, some things will start to make sense now.

Bobby stared at her in shock. The only thing he could comprehend was her ultimatum. His head was spinning. The fears that plagued him took over, and he lashed out in anger, "If you want to leave, Eames, then leave. The door is right there."

Alex closed her eyes. She could feel the pain in his voice. She knew she had been wrong. This was not the way to get him to open up. His greatest fear was losing her. She tried to reach out to him, "I'm sorry, OK? I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to go anywhere. I'm not going to go anywhere. I swear to you, I won't. I'm just worried and desperate. I need you to talk to me."

Trying to calm down, Bobby desperately tried to bury his fears. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he tried to explain, again, "What happened before has nothing to with what's going on now. Why can't you let it go?"

Meeting his eyes, Alex worried. She still saw the pain in his eyes. She knew she had to get his mind off what had already been said. She argued back, "Because _you_ can't let it go. Ever since David has shown up, you've been treating me like I'm glass and keeping me at arm's length, and I'm tired of it. It's affecting everything you do right now. You're so consumed by it, you probably haven't even thought about who might have done this to your brother. He's fighting for his life. Has the question of why even crossed your mind?"

Bobby sighed. Looking at the wall, he tried to assure her, "You think I don't care? I do care. I want to find whoever did this. I will find whoever did this. I have thought about it, Eames."

Before Alex could respond, a doctor approached. He tentatively asked, "Detective Goren?"

Standing up, Bobby answered, "Yes."

The doctor tentatively replied, "We were able to repair the damage. He should be just fine. I was told someone applied pressure to the wound…"

Standing with Bobby, Alex was relieved. She volunteered, "It was me."

The doctor nodded. He continued, "You saved his life, Detective. It will probably be morning before he wakes up. You could go home and get some real rest. We have your contact information, thanks to Detective Eames, if something happens. They're moving him into ICU right now. The nurses would be glad to give you the room number when you return."

Bobby gave a short nod and watched the doctor leave. Sitting down he laughed. He couldn't believe the irony. Meeting the eyes of a very confused Alex, he confessed, "It's ironic."

Sitting down beside him, she pushed, "What's ironic?"

Bobby met her eyes again. He cryptically explained, "You saved my brother."

Frustrated, Alex lashed out, "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me right now? We're going in circles. We've been going in circles for days now. Damn it, Bobby, I love you. Please talk to me."

For the first time those words sunk into Bobby Goren's head. He was overwhelmed with hope before the panic began building. As far as he was concerned she had the worst timing ever. Standing, he began to pace. He just couldn't deal with his emotions, the knowledge of her feelings, and the secret all at once. He couldn't deal with having her in the same room right then. Walking away from her he insisted, "I…have to go. I can't…do this."

Alex watched in astonishment as Bobby took off out the door. She had been sure that Lewis had meant Bobby loved her. Grabbing her things, she stormed out of waiting room, only to remember her car was at David's. Hitting the wall of the hospital with her fist, she let the single tear fall. Wiping it away, she decided she couldn't deal with Bobby anymore that night. They were only managing to frustrate and hurt each other the past few days. Grabbing a cab, she picked up her car from the scene and was bent on going home.

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Joey sat at the foot of the hotel bed, talking on the phone, "I know I screwed up, Mr. Stryker. I promised to fix it, didn't I? I've got it taken care of, as long as you send Gibble and Johnson up here. I'll get the mess cleaned up. I know someone in records at One Police Plaza. They're not in a position to refuse. We'll get the money and take care of the cop."

Alan Stryker angrily replied, "Alright, Joey, but you better not screw this up anymore. Make sure David is taken care of, too. Anymore screw ups, Joey, and it's your head. You understand?"

Joey nodded and agreed, "Yes, sir. I understand." Hanging up the phone, there was a knock on the door. Opening it, he smiled. Taking the file from the man's hands, he asked, "Detective Robert Goren's file?"

The nervous cop, Andy, nodded and shakily replied, "Yes…yes it's a copy of his file."

Flipping through the file, Joey nodded. He informed Andy, "Perfect. If you breathe a word about this to anyone, I'll fucking kill you and your family. This takes care of that loan. So, we should never cross paths again."

Andy gratefully nodded and took off, hoping to be able to stick to that promise of never seeing Joey Kane again. He was glad to get out from under the loan, and he refused to even want to think about what Joey had planned for Bobby Goren. To think it about it meant he'd have to feel guilty. It meant he'd have to do something about it.

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Reaching Bobby's door, Alex took a deep breath. About halfway home, she had changed her mind. She had to check on him. She had to make sure he was OK. Not in the mood to coax him to the door this time, she let herself in. She sighed at the sight in front of her. Bobby was sitting on his couch, with a mostly empty bottle of whiskey with an almost finished glass in front of him on the coffee table. She hated seeing him like this. For the first time she was nervous about what his secret was. She couldn't imagine anything that could drive him to drink like this. She knew his hatred for getting truly drunk. It brought back too many memories of a father he'd rather forget. Alex understood. It brought memories of an aunt she'd rather forget, too. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her hesitancy down and quipped, "You don't waste any time, do you? How much of that have you had tonight?"

Bobby shrugged. He replied, "I think it was almost full when I pulled it out of my cabinet. I thought I told you wanted to be alone."

Alex made herself comfortable in a chair. Imitating him, she shrugged and replied, "Well, I want some answers, and I wanted to make sure you didn't do something stupid. Though, I suppose, I'm a little late on that one. Self-destruction doesn't become you, Bobby."

Bobby sent her a glare. Finishing the whiskey still in the glass, he insisted, "I don't want to talk right now, and I don't need your help. Leave, Alex."

Alex was determined to make this the last time they had this dance. She wasn't going to let either of them walk away before she got her answers. Staying put, she nonchalantly replied, "Sorry. I think I'll stay and wait for you to decide to talk."

Sitting up, Bobby bitterly insisted, "I said go."

Without flinching, Alex sat up and argued back, "No."

Trying to stand, Bobby grumbled, "Fine. I'll go."

Rage flashed through Alex's eyes. There was no way he was leaving this apartment without talking to her. Standing up, she approached him and pushed him back down onto the couch. Leaning over, she got into his face. Her knuckles were supporting her weight against the back of the couch. Bobby drunk, she could handle, but she couldn't and wouldn't tolerate flashbacks of her selfish aunt. Meeting his eyes, so he could see her anger, she threatened, "I don't care if you're only going down the hall. I will arrest your ass if you walk out that door. I'll drag you all the way down to 1PP and make you sit in a holding cell till you talk to me, and you know I'll do it, too. It's your choice."

Bobby watched as Alex sat back down, waiting to see what he was going to do. He knew better than to test her, even when he was drunk. She'd make good on that threat. Therefore, he decided, for his own well-being, he'd stay put. Meeting her eyes, he warned, "You…have no idea how much…I love you, Alex. I don't want to hurt you. I don't care what you say…you are not…prepared for this. I, honestly, don't think you'll ever…want to speak to me again."

Alex's heart skipped a beat at hearing his declaration of love. Shaking her head, she didn't allow herself to dwell on it, yet. She promised, "I couldn't do that to you, Bobby. I love you too much, and nothing could be that bad."

Bobby shook his head. He persisted, "Yes, it can."

Alex found his eyes again. Her eyes pleaded for him to talk to her but she kept her voice steady, "If you love me, then trust me. Try me."

Taking a deep breath, Bobby confessed, "David and I got Shane killed, Alex."

The sinking feeling in her stomach got stronger. Refusing to believe it, she argued, "No. That's not possible."

Bobby closed his eyes and explained, "Shane was killed in raid… a raid on September twenty-third nineteen-ninety-nine? It was… the raid I organized to help David. There were eight of us, plus David. Someone tipped them off, and… they were ready for us. It was a… bloodbath for both sides. The shooters are all dead or in jail for life. Four good cops died that night. I couldn't…face you. I was such a coward. Shane...was the only one of us who was married. The other cops…"

Overwhelmed, Alex gasped. It just felt almost too horrible to contemplate. Putting her hand to her mouth, she was shaking as she interrupted in a whispered, "Harris, Jackson, and Augustine…Oh God! How long have you known?"

Bobby took a deep breath. He couldn't even look at her as he admitted, "Since we met. God, Alex, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Standing, Alex tried to get herself under control. She shook her head. Alex reacted in anger. It was the safest emotion she could find, "You've known for the past five and a half years and you didn't tell me?"

Rubbing his hand over his face, Bobby tried to explain, "I… didn't know you didn't know. Someone wasn't paying attention when they paired us. I recognized your name, and I… assumed you knew. I kept waiting for you to… for the other shoe to drop until I realized… you didn't even realize what I had done to you. By that point, I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I didn't want to hurt you, like this. I didn't want to lose you. It was, well, selfish. You never read the report?"

All of her anger was gone. All she was left with were the few tears she allowed to escape down her face. Wiping them away, she paced. It was something she had learned from her time with Bobby. She admitted, "I couldn't bring myself to read it or ask anyone anything, ever. I couldn't do it. I didn't read anything about it. I never wanted to know. After awhile I didn't think it mattered." Suddenly stopping, she turned to face him. She whispered, "It wasn't your fault, Bobby. Please…know that, and tell me you found the leak."

Bobby closed his eyes. He assured her, "He's still on death row."

Alex nodded slightly. She was glad the traitor had been caught. It made her feel better. Revenge always made her feel better, but she was still on the verge of falling apart, and that was the last thing she wanted Bobby to see. She was fighting hard not to break down in front of him, and she knew she had to leave. Backing towards the door, she explained, "I have to go. I can't stay."

Awkwardly standing, Bobby, worried, tried to stop her, "Alex! Don't drive this upset."

Alex stopped as she opened her door. She momentarily debated staying. A part of her knew she could trust Bobby. She knew she could cry with him, and he'd never think less of her. He'd never judge her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was supposed to be the strong one. She was supposed to be the rock. She was afraid to upset that balance. Taking another deep breath, she left without another word.

Bobby fell back down on the couch. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his face and desperately clung to the hope that she could forgive him. He was convinced that she blamed him, no matter what she had said. He was afraid of what she was going to do tomorrow at the office. Worse yet, he wasn't sure what he was going to do about David and whoever he owed money to.


	7. Morning After

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 7

By: The Confused One

A/N: Finally, chapter 7 is ready. Sorry it took so long. I promise updates will come quicker from here on for all of my stories. I've had a hard time writing the last few weeks, but I'm getting back into my groove. Special thanks, as always, goes to InfinityStar for her beta job. Please enjoy the chapter, and don't hate me too much. Remember to review. Thanks.

Alex focused on the soothing sound of the birds in the trees, as she approached. She had to do this. Alex kneeled in front of Shane's grave. Taking a ragged breath, she traced his name with her finger. _She needed to talk to someone. She needed to get thoughts in order, and she needed someone to just listen. She needed to just ramble. She knew the best place to do that was with Shane._ After a moment, she finally spoke softly, "Hi. I know I don't visit as often as I once did, and I'm sorry about that. I guess you know it's because of Bobby. Moving to Major case…and working with him helped me start living again. God, it took two years before that happened. I know I've told you about Bobby before, so I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that you met him. I wonder what you would have said about him after the raid if you had gotten the chance. God, I hope you understand. I hope you saw…some of what I see everyday. Bobby is good to me, Shane. I love him. I know that's what you'd want for me, and I can't…I'm wondering…did you help bring him to me? I'm really struggling here. I'm not sure what to say to him right now. I don't know how to make this right. After last night, I don't know how to make him understand anything, when I'm still trying to process all of this myself. How do I make him understand it wasn't his fault? I can't blame him. I can't even blame David. You…were doing your job, and damn it, you always went for the most dangerous assignments you could find. You had to be tougher than everyone else. I need to go to the hospital right now. I need to talk to Bobby. I need to see him, but I need your help. Just…help me find the words."

Getting up, she wiped away a couple of tears. She had hoped visiting him would help clear her mind and give her strength. She decided it had done neither. Walking away, she whispered, "I miss you."

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Bobby sighed as he finished his coffee. He already knew it was going to be an incredibly long day. He dreaded going to 1PP. He had visions of Alex telling him she was requesting a new partner. He wouldn't blame her. He would never believe it wasn't his fault. He had taken those men, including Shane, into the raid. He was the one who had put them into danger. He was the one who put Shane into danger, and he knew if anyone ever put Alex into danger like that, he'd kill them. No, he wouldn't blame her if she went running for the hills and never wanted to see him again. Despite that, he clung to the hope that he could convince her to stay, but first, he had to check on David. He imagined it would be a tad less harrowing.

Grabbing his things, he opened the door, only to get punched in the face. Stumbling slightly, he was grabbed by two men and lead back inside. His portfolio, phone, gun, keys, and coat were quickly kicked aside. Bobby quickly tried to wrench himself free and received a quick punch to the gut for his effort. Joey followed the men inside and closed the door. Stripping Bobby of his suit jacket, Joey announced, "I think it's time for the two of us to start talking about how you're going to pay your big brother's debt."

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Getting directions to David's room, Alex hoped Bobby was there. She tentatively walked into David's room. She was surprised to see David awake and even more surprised to not see Bobby. Alex tried to be pleasant, "Hi."

David watched her and answered her unspoken question. "He hasn't been by."

Relieved that she hadn't missed Bobby, Alex nodded slightly. Sitting down, she tried to assure him, "He was worried. He'll be here."

David ignored her assurance. He changed the subject, "I should…thank you. You saved my life."

Bristling slightly, Alex wrote it off, "So I've been told."

David, worried about Bobby, continued, "Just…make sure you take care of Bobby…like that. He doesn't know…the whole story, and I can tell. You care about my brother. You're…good for him, to him. I…do love him. You have to…protect him. I…screwed up. Kane knows his name."

Confused, Alex demanded, "What?"

Getting agitated, David's voice got weaker and he tried to explain further, "I really messed up. I was afraid…to tell Bobby everything. I only…owed thirty gs. I was…trying to get Kane to…back off. I promised to double it. Told him I'd get it…from my brother. He followed me…when I talked to Bobby yesterday. That's why he attacked me. I…I told him Bobby's name. He knows he's a cop."

Alex was suddenly on her feet, horrified. A knot was forming in the pit of her stomach. She lashed out at David, "The idea that you give a damn about Bobby is a joke! You've put him in the middle of this, and you didn't even bother to tell him! How could you? How could you do that to him?"

Tears began to come down his face. His agitation was completely visible now. He begged, "I'm sorry. Tell him I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Keep him safe."

Panic was beginning to set in. Alex knew Bobby should have and would have been at the hospital by then. Something was wrong. Ignoring David, Alex took off out the door. She had to find him. Walking out the door, she pressed three on her cell phone.

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Tied up with a bloody nose, Bobby fumed. He ignored the phone as he bitterly insisted again, "I told you. I don't have that kind of money. I've never had that kind of money."

Throwing a look at the phone, Joey bent down and got into Bobby's face. He demanded, "Then why would big brother say he was getting the money from you?"

Glaring at Joey, Bobby's heart skipped a beat when he heard Alex's voice on the answering machine, "Bobby, I have to talk to you. If you're ignoring me, please don't. Pick up the phone, Bobby. Damn it. Fine. I'm going to try your cell."

Joey, intrigued, stood up straight again. He asked, "The girl from yesterday. What's her name? She sounds like she's close to you. What does she know about your finances?"

Bobby could hear the worry in her voice. He knew she knew something. She knew something was wrong. Now he was worried, too. He was desperate to keep her out of this. He hoped she didn't show up there. Trying to protect her, Bobby was glad Alex wasn't in the room. She'd hit him herself. Biting the bullet, he stubbornly argued, "Her? Please. She's a pest. I fucked her once, and now she's following me around like a lost puppy."

Joey gave him a sadistic smile. He pushed, "Her name?"

Bobby shrugged. He met Joey's eyes and replied, "I don't remember."

John Gibble hit Bobby in the face, again. More blood began to spill from his lip. Looking at Joey, he explained, "He's lying."

Joey nodded. He already knew that. Bending down again, Joey met Bobby's eyes. Bobby's cell phone ringing interrupted him. Curious, Joey looked at Chris Johnson, who handed him the phone. Seeing the name, Eames, Joey met his eyes again and asked, "This her?"

Bobby swallowed hard. He replied, "No. That's a friend."

Chris's hand instantly connected with his face again. He was getting tired of Bobby. Looking at Joey, he whined, "We should just cut our losses and get rid of this guy. He's getting on my nerves."

Bobby decided that with a little encouragement he could maybe get them to leave. He reminded them, "You three do remember that murdering a cop will get you a needle in the arm, right?"

Hitting Bobby again, Chris heard something crack. He smiled evilly. He gleefully announced, "I think we broke something."

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Alex turned her siren on and raced to Bobby's. She stopped short of calling anything in, yet. On the off chance that she was wrong, she didn't want to look like an idiot. She knew something was wrong, though. She just knew. She could feel it. The sick feeling that something terrible had already happened wouldn't leave her. Grabbing her phone again, she pressed two and waited.

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Hearing Bobby's cell phone ringing, Chris taunted, "We could answer that. We could find out who she is for ourselves."

Bobby refused to be baited. He just glared before shrugging. He was fairly sure his jaw was now broken and the pain was beginning to become impossible to hide. A drop of blood dripped past his eye from his eyebrow. He turned the tables on Chris, "Go ahead. I couldn't care less. I told you. She was a good fuck."

Before Chris could hit Bobby again, Joey put his hand on Chris' shoulder. Getting in Bobby's face again, he warned, "We're going to leave and give you a chance to get the money together. We'll be back sometime in the next week. You better have the money ready by then, or I can't guarantee what might happen."

Grabbing Bobby's gun from the things they had confiscated from him, John ordered, "You heard the boss, man. Untie him."

Bitter, Chris untied Bobby. He already decided he hated Bobby, and he wasn't happy, but knew better than to disobey orders. Backing away, Chris warned, "Count to one hundred before you even dare move."

Bobby dared to move anyway. He went for John, who had the gun. Chris immediately got in his way. Chris punched Bobby hard, causing him to stumble backwards unprepared for the contact. He fell through his glass coffee table and didn't move.


	8. Finding Bobby

Brother's Keeper:

By: The Confused One

A/N: I think I spent more time on this chapter, than most of the rest combined. For some reason, it didn't seem to want to come out right, and I kept picking at it. I tweaked for hours. Anyway, what I mean to say is please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks.

Pulling up to Bobby's apartment building, Alex immediately noticed his car. It hadn't been moved from the night before. She fought back the sense of foreboding that clung to her. He had to be OK. She tried to tell herself that she'd get to hit him for scaring her.

Walking off the elevator, she drew her gun. His door was open. She refused to let herself think about the worst. Standing beside the door, she called Bobby's name. Getting no answer she walked inside where she gasped and froze. For a moment she felt her world stop. Then she saw it. Underneath all the glass, blood, and bruises, Bobby breathed. He was unconscious, but breathing.

Dropping to his side, Alex called for help and put her gun aside. All police training and logical thought to check the rest of the apartment was gone. She could only think about Bobby. Choking back tears, she ran her hand through his hair. She refused to cry though. She had to be strong. She had to focus. Scrambling to her feet, she was shaking as she grabbed a towel from his kitchen. Getting it damp, she hurried back to him. Trying to look him over, she cut herself on the shards of glass, but she hardly felt the cuts, and she ignored the blood. Removing the largest pieces of glass, she managed to clean him up some. She knew that was important. She could see where the real bleeding was. As she worked, she tried to speak to him, "Oh God, Bobby. Come on, open your eyes. Please… Please wake up. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave, so you don't leave, please. God, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left last night. I'm… sorry. You shouldn't have been alone. I need you. I can't lose you. Just hold on. Please, hold on. Please…don't leave me. God, I hope you can hear me. Bobby, nothing that's happened was your fault. What happened to Shane was not your fault. You have to know that."

Hearing the sirens of the ambulance and cops, Alex wiped away the couple of tears that had rebelliously managed to escape. She wouldn't let them see her weakness. She had to be strong. She whispered to Bobby, "You have to be OK. Please fight and stay with me."

Within moments uniformed cops and paramedics swarmed the room and pushed her out of the way. She still refused to cry. There would be time enough later. There was still too much to be done. She couldn't fall apart. Finding the detectives, she introduced herself and showed them her badge. She got down to business. She wasn't about to waste anymore time. She wanted this guy. "He's my partner, Bobby Goren. You two are looking for a guy named Kane."

Confused, the younger of the two male detectives, Dillan Mullen, asked, "Who?"

Taking a deep breath, Alex explained, "Bobby's older brother is a gambler. He got in over his head. Idiot told the collector, Kane, that Bobby had the money. Kane did this, and when you find him, I want a piece of him. I want at him."

Eyeing her carefully, Dillan asked, "You're sure?"

Alex arched her eyebrows. She insisted, "Yes, I'm sure. I know my partner, Detective."

Dillan's older partner, Ken Harrison, stepped in now, "We're not trying to accuse anyone of anything here, Detective. We're just trying to get to the bottom of this, for your partner. What's this Kane's first name?"

Alex closed her eyes for a moment. She watched as the paramedics loaded Bobby onto the gurney. Looking at Ken, so she could focus again, she explained, "I don't know, but David should. He's in the North Central Bronx Hospital. He nearly got stabbed to death by the guy last night, but there was more than one perp here. Bobby's a big guy, and it would take more than one guy to subdue him."

Ken continued the questions, "What happened last night?"

With a sigh, Alex explained, "Bobby and David had a fight yesterday. David wanted Bobby to give him sixty grand. He never told either of us that Kane knew where he was getting the money. I went to see him last night to talk about…that. I found him. Kerrigan and Davis from the 4-9 caught the case. Surely they've talked to David by now. He was awake when I saw him this morning. I needed to talk to Bobby. I assumed that's where he'd be. When he wasn't there, David told me everything. Bobby didn't answer his phone, so I came to check on him."

Curious but cautious, Dillan asked, "And you found him like that?"

Alex arched her eyebrows. She didn't like the insinuation, and said so. "I sure as hell didn't do this, if that's what you're asking."

Ken tried to defuse the tension again. Eames was twisting Dillan's words, and to make things worse, for some reason, he got the feeling his partner didn't like Detective Eames. "I'm sorry. We're not trying to accuse you of anything. We just need to know what happened."

Seeing them start to leave with Bobby, Alex hurriedly pulled out her business card and shoved it at Ken, who hesitantly took it. She quickly explained, "I've been through hell and back with him. We've been partners for over five years. I would never hurt him. Talk to his damn brother, room 415 at North Central. Talk to Kerrigan and Davis. If you have any other questions or you find the son of a bitch, call me."

Ken sighed as he watched Alex grab her gun again and take off after the paramedics. He looked over at Dillan now, who had moved over to the phone. He argued, "What was that?"

Dillan shrugged. He explained, "I don't know. Something feels wrong about her. There's more going on."

Ken shook his head. He reminded Dillan, "She's a major case detective, Mullen. Her partner just almost got beat to death. Give the woman a break."

Dillan waved him off. Hitting the button on the answering machine, he replied, "Yeah. Yeah."

Ken arched his eyebrows as he listened to the message from Alex. He met Dillan's eyes and argued, "We don't know what that means yet."

Dillan shook his head. He insisted, "Well, we need to know. He was avoiding her?"

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Pacing the hotel room, Joey pointed Bobby's gun at Chris again. He raged, "If that cop dies, I will kill you! You stupid idiot! We need that money!"

Chris, equally angry, argued, "It's no great loss if the asshole dies. We called remember. His brother is still alive. He'll inherit the money the damn money, and he'll give it to us. David can be persuaded."

John shook his head. He yelled, "That's not the fucking point, Chris. We were trying to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. He's a cop! He has a partner. Now cops are going to be everywhere and are going to start asking questions."

Chris fumed, "What was I supposed to do? He was going to grab the gun."

After a moment, John suggested, "I still think we should have answered his phone."

With a nod, Chris agreed, "We would have gotten her name."

Exasperated, Joey had had enough of both of them. He angrily interrupted, "Shut up, both of you. We already know her name. It's Eames. The name on the cell phone was definitely the same woman who left the message. When I stuck David last night, she identified herself. He's trying to protect her, and I wanted him to think it was working. I think she's his weak link. I have a couple of calls to make to find out more about her."

Chris shrugged. He sarcastically offered, "Like her first name?"

Joey rolled his eyes. He replied, "Yeah. That and who she really is to him. He didn't want to tell us."

John sighed. He jumped in, "You two are forgetting something. He has to live before we can use anything against him."

Being reminded left Joey fuming again. Pointing his finger at Chris, Joey warned, "I don't care if you like him or not, you better start praying he makes it. Get out, both of you. Go back to your rooms and wait to hear from me. I have to make those calls."

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Alex stared at the wall, terrified. She hadn't gotten any news on Bobby since he had been brought in. She was beginning to feel a little sick, from the lack of information and anything to do. She hated feeling helpless. She hated being in the dark even more. And she was overwhelmed with haunting memories of waiting on news from Shane. Taking ragged breaths, she wasn't sure she could handle losing another man she loved. She was surprised and stiffened when a hand squeezed her shoulder. Looking up, she met Deakins eyes and relaxed. Frustrated with everything, she admitted, "They haven't told me anything."

With a slight nod, Deakins bent down in front of her. After a moment, he gently asked, "Do you want to tell me what's been going on?"

Alex was about to start explaining when Mike and Carolyn walked in. Approaching them, Mike asked, "What happened?"

Carolyn glared at her partner, Mike. Sitting down beside of Alex, she asked, "Any news?"

Alex took a shaky breath and reiterated, "No. They won't tell me anything. They were worried about his blood loss in the ambulance. They were afraid there was internal bleeding, just to make things worse, from all the glass. They weren't even sure if the glass had punctured any vital organs."

Putting her hands on Alex's knees, Carolyn assured her, "He'll be OK."

Shaking again, Alex wasn't sure how much longer she could hold herself together. She felt like she was about to fall apart. The last few days had put her through the wringer, and now she was reaching her tipping point. She couldn't handle anything else. Meeting Carolyn's eyes, she whispered, "He looked so pale, and his breathing…became so shallow. I can't lose him."

Mike sat down on the other side of her. He took her bloody hand and tried to reassure her too, "Carolyn is right. He has to be OK. Keep believing that."

With that, Alex finally let go. She knew better. There were no guarantees. Pulling her hand away from Mike, Alex put her face in her hands and started to sob. Deakins leaned forward and held her.


	9. The Wait

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 9

By: The Confused One

A/N: Like I said, I'm getting work done this week. The next chapter of this story is practically done too, so the wait won't be long. I'm seriously trying to get to where I'm writing more again. Thanks for your patience, and please enjoy the chapter and remember to review. Thanks.

Alex had spent an hour filling out hospital forms. She had insisted on being the one to fill out the forms and not wait to do it later. She had taken her time, trying to avoid the questions. As she suspected, the moment she was finished, they started in on their questions. She ultimately decided, for the moment, to give them the same story she had given the detectives at Bobby's apartment. There were still parts of the story she just couldn't bring herself to tell them…yet. The stunned silence afterwards had gotten to her, and she had fled the waiting room. An hour later, she found herself sitting in a front row pew of the hospital chapel. She was staring at the large cross that was hanging in front of her.

Closing her eyes, Alex just began speaking, "I know it's been awhile since I've prayed like this, and I probably have no business asking…begging you to save him, but here I am, doing just that, because I don't know what else to do. They've had him in there for several hours now, and I'm beginning to get scared… and I don't get scared. I don't like being scared, and I don't like feeling helpless.

"I need him, and I can't lose him. You can't take him from me. You already took Shane from me and way too soon. Wasn't he enough? Do you get your laughs from being this spiteful? I only got five years with Shane, and now you're only going to give me five years with Bobby?"

After a few minutes, Carolyn had gotten worried, and she'd gone looking for Alex, to make sure she was OK. She was now standing in the back of the chapel, relieved to have found her. She waited for a moment and listened as Alex continued, "Is that supposed to be funny? Some sort of sick joke? You give me just enough time…to get to where I can't imagine my life without them and then you take them from me? No. You don't get to do that…not twice. I know life isn't fair, but that would just be cruel, and people say you're not cruel. So, don't you dare take him from me. I couldn't handle it." Losing most of her resolve, Alex was on the verge of tears again. She finally choked out, "Please…don't take him from me."

Approaching her, Carolyn broke the now sudden silence. "Alex?"

Taking a ragged breath, Alex was surprised to be caught. Embarrassed, she wiped away at her tears and hastily replied, "I'm fine."

With a sigh, Carolyn ignored the almost hostile tone Alex's voice had. Sitting down beside her, she began quietly. "Alex…"

Closing her eyes again, Alex interrupted her, "I'm sorry." Back to staring at the cross, Alex admitted, "I'm scared, Carolyn."

Carolyn understood that perfectly. She nodded slowly and took Alex's hand. Squeezing lightly, she replied, "I know." When Alex finally looked at her, Carolyn added, "But you should light a candle. It'll get you further than yelling at Him will."

Alex sighed and looked at the cross again. She whispered, "Apart from work, I've avoided religion in general for a long time now."

Carolyn nodded and sympathetically replied, "You stopped going after Shane. I almost did after Gary."

Seeing Alex nod, Carolyn suggested, "Come on, Alex. Let's go back to the waiting room. They could show up with an update any time now."

Alex nodded slowly. Forcing herself to get up, she silently followed Carolyn back to the waiting room, desperately hoping for some good news.

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Standing at the door, Danielle knocked nervously. Looking around, she held the envelope close in her hand. She was relieved when the door finally opened.

Looking her up and down, Joey smiled. He greeted her, "Ms. Demarco, how nice to see you."

Glaring at him, Danielle shoved the file at him. She bitterly replied, "I never want to hear from you again. Do you have any idea how much trouble my husband could get into because of this?"

With a shrug, Joey carelessly replied, "That's your problem though, now isn't it? You're the one who got yourself into this predicament." With a smirk on his face, he wagged his finger and clicked his tongue before commenting, "Ten-thousand dollars? That's a lot of money." Opening the envelope, Joey pulled out the papers and flipped through them. He was relieved that Danielle had the good sense to keep her mouth shut at the moment. He finally looked up and commented, "This is what I wanted. We're even. Now go."

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Resting her head on Mike's shoulder, Alex stared at the doors and willed someone to come out and tell her what was going on with Bobby. She desperately needed news. Deakins held her hand in the seat beside her, and Carolyn was seated on the other side of Mike. Silence continued to prevail. No one had the words. No one knew what to say, what to do, or how to make it better.

Shifting against Mike, Alex sighed in frustration and got up. She and Carolyn had only been back from the chapel for about ten minutes, and she felt like she was going crazy. She began pacing. She finally commented, "I don't understand why they haven't told us anything."

Before anyone could say a word, a doctor approached, "Are you here for Detective Goren?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex spoke up, "Yes. How is he?"

The doctor eyed her for a long moment before explaining, "He's going to be OK. We did a full examination. We had to set his jaw, wrap his ribs, set one of his fingers, and repair a punctured lung, but overall, he was very lucky."

Alex closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. Looking at the doctor again, she asked, "Can I see him?"

With a nod, the doctor assured her, "Yes, but I want you to be prepared. He's going to be out still for some time, and he's hooked to a lot of machinery that we will be removing over the next few days, when he wakes up."

Alex nodded emphatically. She could handle this, and she insisted, "It's OK. I just…need to see him."

With an understanding nod, the doctor replied, "Right this way then. I think it might do him some good. You obviously mean a great deal to him."

Alex nodded mutely. She didn't want to make a big deal about the paperwork. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was going to see.

Watching Alex, Carolyn had the sudden urge to not leave her alone. Standing up, she asked, "Can we…can we come, too?"

Looking at Alex, who didn't seem to object, the doctor replied, "Of course."

Alex would never admit it, but she was extremely grateful to Carolyn for not letting her go alone. Silently, the five of them walked down the hallway. Reaching one of the rooms, the doctor announced, "This is his room, for now."

Alex nodded, again. Looking up at the doctor, she replied, "Thank you." She heard him walk as away as she turned to face the others. She quietly spoke to them. "Give me a minute, please."

Mike was about to say something, but Carolyn beat him to it. "Of course," she said, leading Mike back down the hall.

Walking into his room, Alex took a deep breath. The doctor was right. It would take an adjustment to get used to seeing him like that. She silently walked over to the bed. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. Taking a shaky breath, she whispered, "They say you're going to be OK."

Sitting down, she took his hand and continued speaking, "You need to reassure me of that, Bobby, by waking up soon. God, I shouldn't have left things the way we left them last night. I shouldn't have left. I'm so sorry, Bobby. I know…you. I know what you must think that I…think. I wish I knew if you could hear me."

After a deep breath, she fought back tears and continued, "I'll have to take the chance that you can, because I have to… get some of this out now, even if I have to repeat myself later. You have to understand. You have to know that I love you, Bobby, and I don't blame you for what happened. It wasn't your fault. Shane was doing his job, Bobby, just like you were. He didn't…make it, but you are not responsible for that. I need you to understand that. You can't…pull away from me. I-I won't let you. I need you in my life. I'm not going to give you a choice."

Rubbing his hand with her thumb, she sniffled and pulled herself together. The others would be in soon. She didn't want them to see her falling apart again. She didn't want Deakins to start asking questions. She didn't want to talk to Deakins about her relationship with Bobby or the rest of what had been going on until Bobby was awake. She needed to actually talk to him first.


	10. The Hospital Room

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 10

By: The Confused One

A/N: Yes, finally, here's the chapter. I really do have several other chapters of other stories almost done. Thank you for hanging in there, and please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks.

Carolyn sat in a chair in the corner of Bobby's hospital room. She was watching Alex, who was seated beside Bobby and holding his hand. After seeing Alex in the chapel, Carolyn had never been more relieved to have gotten good news. Now he just had to wake up.

Looking over at Mike, she noticed the dark look in his eyes as he looked from the IVs, Bobby, and Alex over and over again. Carolyn could tell that seeing Bobby this still and thinking about the story Alex had told them was getting to him. He needed a distraction, something to keep him from stewing. Deakins had just gone to get them all some coffee, and Carolyn decided to take the opportunity to ask some questions. She had a feeling that Alex had only given them the bare bones about what she knew, and Carolyn wanted the full story, and she was hoping that with Deakins out of the room, Alex would open up. "Alex, it was David that Bobby shoved against the gun lockers that day, wasn't it?"

Alex swallowed hard. Without looking at Mike or Carolyn, Alex kept her tone even. "Yes, it was."

This got Mike's interest. He had suspected as much, but he hadn't pushed it because Alex had left it out of her story. He finally asked, "You left that part out."

Alex closed her eyes. She knew she had to tell them everything. She needed their help. She didn't trust the detectives that had been at Bobby's apartment. Taking a deep breath, her voice continued to be calm and almost lifeless as she confessed, "Because I'm protecting…everyone. I wasn't at the hospital this morning just to check on David." Her voice took a little bit of an edge as she finished, "I needed to talk to Bobby. I needed to try to make him understand. I still need…I need him to know I love him, that I'm not going anywhere."

Carolyn closed her eyes. They had talked about Alex' feelings before, and Carolyn had spent some time trying to convince her to finally talk to Bobby about it, but she had gotten nowhere with it. She was now suddenly worried that something had gone wrong in that conversation. Looking at Mike, she realized he was thinking much the same thing. It occurred to her that Bobby must have talked to Mike about his feelings for Alex. She hesitated and finally asked, "You two finally talked about it?"

Alex shook her head and laughed bitterly. She explained, "Sort of. I couldn't give him what he needed last night, and I couldn't let him give me what I needed." Choking back more tears, she continued, "Last time David was in the city, Bobby tried to help. He set up a raid on the guys that David owed money to. Shane died in that raid. Bobby has spent years holding that back from me. He spent the last few days pushing me away, trying to protect me. It took over the discussion about…us."

Mike looked at Carolyn in shock. It was the last thing either of them expected. Finding her voice, Carolyn ventured, "Oh, God. Alex, what…"

Taking a shallow breath, Alex refused to cry again. She had to get the story out. Then she could break down and cry again, if it came to that. "I did the worst possible thing I could have done when he told me. I took off. I did what I thought I needed, not what he needed. I was selfish. Knowing him…he must think I hate him right now. He almost died thinking that. I almost lost him without making sure he understood it wasn't him. I could never hate him."

Mike balled his fist up again. He tried to remind her, "Alex, look at him. Don't think about what almost happen. He's going to be OK."

Alex shook her head. Finally letting go of his hand, she wiped away the tears that escaped. Turning to face Mike, she replied, "You didn't see him lying in all of that glass. For a moment…I thought I _had_ lost him." Turning back to Bobby, Alex let a couple of tears trickle down her face. Taking his hand again, she needed the connection to him. She continued, "I shouldn't have left. I got scared. Staying meant letting him in: totally and completely. I tried to convince myself that I was just worried about upsetting the balance of our relationship, but almost losing him…I know I was wrong. I'm afraid of losing him, too. After Shane, I swore I'd never let anyone in like that again. I wouldn't go through that pain again. I wouldn't lose someone else I loved. Then Bobby came into my life. He worked his way into my heart, and I worked my way into his. I couldn't face that fear last night. After…everything, I couldn't risk it happening again. We really are two pathetic people, too afraid to face our feelings."

Carolyn tried to assure her, "But you've talked now. He's going to be OK. You two will work it out when he wakes up."

Alex snorted. She dryly replied, "If only it were that easy." After a moment, she let go of Bobby and turned back around. Focusing on what she could do something about, she replied, "I really…I need a favor."

Mike beat Carolyn to the punch, "Anything."

Alex explained, "I need this guy caught. I want him in jail. It's the only way to protect Bobby from them. I want a piece of Kane and his friends like I've never wanted anyone else, but I don't trust any of the detectives on this case. Mullen and Harrison practically accused me of doing this to Bobby."

Mike instantly interrupted, "What? They think you did this to Bobby?"

Alex sighed. She clarified, "They didn't accuse me outright, but Mullen alluded to it, and it just means they're wasting time. Kerrigan and Davis probably don't even know anything else has happened. None of them have probably talked to David. I can't do it myself, and I need people I trust…"

Carolyn suddenly understood where Alex was going with this. She offered, "You want Mike and me to find these guys?"

Alex nodded slowly. She was desperately hoping they wouldn't say no. After a moment, she met Carolyn's eyes and replied, "Yes, I do. I can't do it myself, and I know you guys. I know you'll find Kane and his guys."

Mike didn't even hesitate. With a nod, he agreed, "We'll do what we can."

Alex nodded. Relieved, she turned back around. Taking Bobby's hand for the third time, she replied, "Thank you, both. I, uh, would start with David. Get Kane's full name and any information from him. I didn't call him. He doesn't know anything has happened. Kind of hoping you two can…fill him in. I can't talk to him right now. I can't deal with…him."

Carolyn nodded. She assured her, "We can do that, too." Standing up, she replied, "Do you want us to wait?"

Alex shook her head. She insisted, "No. God only knows where this guy has gone by now. Just find them. They can't get away with this."

Before Mike of Carolyn could say a word Deakins walked back in carrying four cups of coffee. Sensing the tension, he asked, "Did I miss something?"

Wiping the tears away, Alex took a deep breath. The last thing she wanted was for Deakins to see how upset she was. She beat Mike and Carolyn to a response. "No. We're…just waiting."

Carolyn watched Deakins nod slightly. Deciding to take advantage of the lull, she motioned to Mike and replied, "We, uh, have a couple of things we need to do. We'll be back in a few hours, Alex."

Watching two of his detectives slip out of the room, Deakins sighed and pulled one of the four cups out of the box. Handing it to Alex, he assured her, "A pound of sugar, just like you like it."

Alex gave a ghost of a smile. Apparently, Bobby wasn't the only one who knew how she took her coffee. Sipping it, she mumbled, "Thanks."

Sitting down, Jimmy watched her. He was left wondering how he had missed it for so long. He silently mused that it served him right for eavesdropping. He shouldn't know what he now knew, and there was no way to pretend that he didn't. Trying to figure out how to broach the subject, a voice from the door startled him, "Alex?"

Looking up, Alex met Lewis' eyes. She watched him walk in. To her, he seemed shaken, completely unlike she'd ever seen him before. She tried to calm him down a little, "He's going to be OK."

Lewis always hated hospitals, and he hated the machines in hospitals even more. Finding himself standing over the bed and right beside her, Lewis nodded and replied, "I know. He's just…never this still."

Alex whispered, "Yeah." After a moment, she added, "I can't help but think…if I had been there, if I had gotten there sooner…"

Perking up, Jimmy insisted, "Don't go there. Don't do that to yourself. You didn't know, and you did everything you could. You don't know what would have happened if you had been there."

Alex bitterly replied, "He would have stood a chance. The only reason he's not dead right now is because they didn't want him dead. It wasn't anything that I did." Truth was: that was what scared her most. She hadn't saved Bobby from them. She would have been too late if they had wanted him dead, and she knew the only reason they hadn't killed him was because they hadn't gotten what they wanted: Bobby's money, or more accurately, Frances Goren's money. They'd be back, and that thought just pissed her off. There was no way Alex was going to let those guys anywhere near Bobby again. Mike and Carolyn had to find them.

Putting his hand on her shoulder, Lewis broke into her thoughts, "He's going to be OK. You said it yourself."

Shaking her head, Alex added, "He won't be till we find these guys and stop them, for good. As long as there's the possibility of them coming after him again…"

The silence that fell over the room was deafening. They all knew she was right. After a minute, Deakins sighed. It was time to tip his hand. "Good thing Logan and Barek aren't going to rest until these guys are found."

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Looking through the file, Joey laughed. He couldn't believe his luck. This was better than he could have possibly imagined.

Looking at him, Chris demanded, "What the hell is so funny?"

Joey shook his head and explained, "This is priceless. She's not just some cop he knows. She's his _partner_, and she's our ticket to getting our money."

John and Chris exchanged looks. Now they were interested. John finally asked, "Alright, what's the plan?"


	11. Talking to David

Brother's Keeper: Ch. 11

By: The Confused One

A/N: As promised, here's the next chapter. Please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks.

Walking towards David's room, Carolyn could still see the anger on Mike's face. Worried, she grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her questioningly. She quickly reminded him, "We need information from him. You can't go in there and start off angry. It'll make him defensive. Take it down a couple of notches."

With a nod, Mike took a deep breath. "I know. You're right. He just… This is Bobby he screwed over."

Carolyn nodded. She completely understood. "I know. Tell you what…you can yell at him a little bit after we get what we need from him."

Mike smiled. "You promise?"

Carolyn smiled in return. She started walking to the door again with Mike when two men walked out of David's room. It caused her to stop suddenly. Looking beside her, she realized Mike was already marching towards the two men. With a sigh, she followed.

Glaring at them, Mike reached them, and pulled out his badge. "Major Case. Detective Logan." Pointing to Carolyn, who had just reached his side, he continued, "Detective Barek. Who are you two?"

Pulling out his own badge, Dillan introduced them, "Detectives Mullen and Harrison."

Trying to avoid a scene, Ken took over. "We're investigating an assault on a Detective Goren. We were asking his brother some questions. Can I ask what you two are doing here?"

Mike continued to eye them carefully. He covered, "Goren is a friend of ours. So we stopped by to check on David for him, say hi, and see how he's doing."

Not quite believing Mike's story, Dillan piped up. "I don't suppose you two could tell us where we could find Detective Eames."

Arching his eyebrows, Mike asked, "What? You still think she could possibly have anything to do with this? Didn't David tell you what happened?"

Carolyn shot Mike a wary look. If he was going to act like an ass, she was going to play it up. "Logan, back off."

Refusing to let Ken get another word in, Dillan pushed, "Look, I'm not accusing Eames of anything. It's looking like she was right. Kane attacked both Goren brothers, but we still have a couple of questions for her."

Mike just stared at Dillan for a moment. He didn't trust this guy as far as he could throw him. "She's probably at home or at 1PP."

With a curt nod, Dillan replied, "Thanks."

With a sigh, Ken watched as Dillan walked away. He quickly followed after him. He really needed to rein his young partner in.

Carolyn sighed when Mike turned to look at her. Exasperated, she asked, "Why didn't you tell them where she really was?"

Opening the door, Mike announced, "Cause I don't trust Mullen."

With a nod, Carolyn couldn't argue with that. Following him inside the room, she locked eyes with a visibly agitated David. She introduced them, "David, hi. I'm Detective Barek, and this is my partner Detective Logan. We work with Bobby, and wanted to talk to you for a minute."

Watching her, David swallowed. With a nod, he sat up and softly asked, "Do you know how he is? The two detectives that just left didn't have much information on how he's doing."

Carolyn locked eyes with Mike for a moment. Relieved that he was letting her take the lead, she continued, "He's still…unconscious at the moment. The injuries were pretty bad."

Nodding again, David whispered, "I…I didn't want him hurt. I never meant to get Bobby hurt."

Nodding, Carolyn tried to be understanding. "We know that. We need to know what you know about Kane, starting with his first name."

Confused, David pointed to the door. He quickly asked, "I thought…they had the case? Mullen and…Harrison. Why are you asking?"

Mike finally spoke up from the corner. "Your little brother is a friend of ours. We want to make sure this is done right. We don't want anyone involved getting away. Do you?"

Closing his eyes, David answered, "Joseph…Joey. Joey Kane. He's a…collector for Alan Stryker out of Atlantic City. That's…who I owe the money to."

Carolyn watched David carefully. She finally asked, "We think Kane has at least one accomplice. Who would he send to work with Kane, David?"

Shaking his head, David sighed. He struggled with his voice. "I-I don't know. I owed him money. I didn't hang out with him."

Mike's irritation level peeked. "Listen to me, these guys almost killed your brother, a very good friend of mine. You put him in this position, so you're going to cooperate and be nice about it or I'm going to get nasty."

David swallowed hard. Meeting Mike's eyes, he quietly insisted, "I'm sorry. I'm telling you the truth though. I don't know who his people are. All I know is Stryker and Kane."

With a sigh, Mike looked at Carolyn. "We're wasting our time." When she nodded and stood up, Mike turned his attention back to David. "As for you, I don't want to hear that you've been near Bobby again. If I were you, when this is over, I'd leave the city, and stay away. Forget you even have a brother or a mother."

Mike could feel Carolyn's eyes on him as they left the room. He cryptically explained, "I don't like it when friends of mine nearly get beaten to death."

Carolyn nodded. She tried to assure him, "We'll find Kane and his guys."

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Lewis had understandably made his way out of the room so they could talk, and Deakins had assured Alex that nothing was going to happen to their partnership. Relieved, Alex had taken her seat back at Bobby's side. Holding his hand again, she found herself completely forgetting Deakins was behind her. She was lost in thought about Bobby. It was Deakins shifting in his seat behind her that brought her out of her thoughts. She could feel him watching her, again. A small smile tugged at her lips. "If you figure out exactly when it happened, let me know. I can't even put my finger on it. It just happened. Snuck up on us both."

Deakins smiled softly. The one thing he appreciated about Alex Eames, more than anything else, was her ability to get to the point. With a nod, he replied, "Love does that."

Smiling herself now, Alex agreed, "Yes, it does. I really never thought I'd find it again." With a soft sigh, Alex sadly added, "And I don't think Bobby believed he'd ever find it to begin with. He doesn't think it's possible that anyone could love him."

Deakins nodded in understanding and acceptance that she was right. Bobby Goren never thought he was good enough for anyone. Deakins chose to blame Bobby's childhood for such a misguided assumption. "Unfortunately, I'm sure you're right."

Shaking her head, Alex let a small affectionate smile play across her face. Reaching out, she let her fingers play across his cheek. "Even after last night, I'm sure he still doesn't think anyone could possibly love him, including me. Idiot."

Deakins smiled again. "Probably. Don't worry about that though. He'll get it figured out."

Alex grinned now. With a nod, she assured him, "I know he will. I'll kick his ass until I get it through his head if I have to."

Deakins chuckled. "Good. That's what I expected to hear."

Still smiling, Alex let go of Bobby and turned to face Deakins. Meeting his eyes, she quietly replied, "Thank you."

He gave her a quick nod, and was about to speak when a voice from the door drew both of their attention. "They have nothing good in that cafeteria."

Alex smiled at Lewis. Watching him claim the third seat, she teased, "I thought we scared you off."

Lewis laughed. Shaking his head, he assured her, "Nah. Just went to check out what they have to eat."

Alex smiled. She teased, "And there was nothing good, huh?"

Lewis shrugged. "Well, I did find something edible. I wanted to stick around a little longer and see if he wakes up." Pointedly looking at her, he suggested, "I'm sure you haven't eaten all day. You should really go down there and have something."

Turning back to her partner, Alex sighed. With determination in her voice, she insisted, "I'm not leaving him. I don't want him to wake up without me."

Shaking his head, Deakins replied, "You're not going to do him any good if you let yourself starve. If he were awake right now, he'd insist you go eat, and you know it. If he wakes up while you're gone, we'll come get you. Go eat, Alex. Don't make me order you."

Alex closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. She knew they were right. If she were honest, she'd admit she was hungry, and Bobby would definitely want her to go eat. Getting up, she finally relented, "Fine. You two win, but if he wakes up come and find me, please."

With a nod, Deakins met her eyes and assured her, "Don't worry. Go."

With a nod, Alex left in search of the cafeteria. She realized she should have asked for directions from Lewis. God, she hated hospitals. They were too big, too impersonal, and way too sterile for her taste. Getting in the elevator, she decided to try the main floor and ask someone when she got down there.


	12. Waking Up

Brother's Keeper: Chapter 12

By: The Confused One

A/N: This is more a transition chapter than anything. Things will pick up again soon. I have huge plans for this story.

Dillon watched the doors to the gas station. He dialed a number on his cell phone. "It's me. What do you have?" After a pause, he nodded. "Good. What about…" Dillon shook his head. He started to argue, "I don't think that's a good idea." Before he could convince the other person of anything, he saw Ken coming out of the gas station. He sighed and cryptically, explained, "Thank you for the information. I have to go."

Getting into the car, Ken watched Dillon hang up. Curious, he asked, "Who was that?"

Dillon shrugged and played it off, "My girl. Look, the hospital is closer. We should, uh, try there first."

Ken gestured to the steering wheel. "You're driving." He was suspicious of Dillon though. Something wasn't right.

Dillon smiled. Starting the engine, he relaxed. With a nod, he headed towards the hospital.

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Mike and Carolyn arrived back at the hospital. Making their way to the room, Mike insisted, "We have to track this guy down in Atlantic City. He's the key to this whole mess."

Carolyn nodded in agreement. "He's the main domino. I'm just not sure how we're going to get him."

Mike grinned. "Trust me, my dear. We'll get him." No one got away with beating the hell out of a friend of his, especially when that friend was a fellow cop.

Carolyn couldn't help but smile back. She had the feeling that she might enjoy whatever it was that Mike was thinking. Come to think of it, she enjoyed a lot of things about Mike. She shook her head to chase the thoughts away. Looking at Mike, she ventured, "I can only imagine what you have in mind."

Mike snickered. Arriving at Bobby's room, they both walked in quietly. Looking from Lewis to Deakins, he asked, "Any change?"

Deakins shook his head sadly. "No. Nothing. He hasn't woken up yet."

Carolyn sighed. Approaching the bed, she asked, "And Alex?"

Deakins smiled. He explained, "We finally convinced her to go get something to eat."

Carolyn almost laughed at this. She shook her head. "I can imagine how that went."

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While she was eating, Alex let her mind wander. All of her thoughts kept coming back to Bobby. She had given up trying to direct them somewhere else. Until this was over, he would be her primary concern. She sighed and finished her sandwich.

Finally getting up, she threw her trash away and headed towards the elevator. That's when she saw them coming in. She frowned and locked eyes with Ken. They had spotted her, too. She sighed as they approached. She curtly greeted them, "Mullen. Harrison."

Eager, Dillon immediately spoke up. "Detective Eames. You are just who we're here to see."

Alex rolled her eyes. The more she got to know Mullen, the less she liked him. "I figured that. What can I do for you?" She was trying to keep things civil.

Dillon eyed her carefully. He ventured, "There was a message on Detective Goren's answering machine from you…"

Alex nodded at this. She remembered leaving the message on the way to his apartment. She explained, "After I talked to David. I knew something was going to go down, and I got worried. I tried to call him, to warn him. I was already on my way over there."

Dillon pushed, "In the message you asked him to pick up, not to ignore you. Is there a reason he would be ignoring you?"

Alex felt a tightening in her stomach. She didn't like this at all. She finally sighed and explained, "We had an argument the night before. I went behind his back to find David. He didn't want me to have anything to do with his brother. He wouldn't tell me what was going on. I finally got him to tell me in the course of the argument, and I was afraid he was feeling a bit…exposed. Bobby Goren doesn't like opening up to people, and he doesn't trust easily. It's hard for him. I was being cautious."

Ken nodded. "We talked to David. He told us everything he knew." Everything about Alex's story was clicking for Ken. He was losing patience for his young partner. He found himself once again, trying to keep Dillon from stepping on her toes anymore than he already had. He gently asked, "Is he awake yet?"

Alex shook her head. She quietly answered, "No, he's not. And his jaw has been wired shut. He won't be…talking for awhile."

Ken nodded. There was nothing more they could get from the hospital. He forced an end to the conversation before Dillon could say any more. "We understand. Please let us know when he wakes up."

Relieved, Alex nodded. Focusing on Ken, she answered, "Thanks, and I will." She gratefully headed to the elevators and back to Bobby.

Dillon held back his dissatisfaction. He knew Ken didn't want to hear it. He sighed and broke the silence. "We should go ahead and get back to the station."

Ken nodded again. Following him out of the hospital, he tried to figure out what was wrong with his partner. He was going to get his answers one way or the other. He was determined to get to the bottom of this case and Dillon.

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Alex arrived back at Bobby's room. She was relieved to see Mike and Carolyn were there. She smiled. She sat back down in her seat. "Good. You're both back." Without further preamble, she asked, "David give you anything?"

Mike nodded. He spoke up first. "As we were telling Deakins, he gave us a lead to a guy named Alan Stryker. Kane's name is Joseph 'Joey' Kane. He's a collector for Stryker, who is currently in Atlantic City."

Alex nodded. Closing her eyes, she was relieved. This was good. They were on to something. Without looking away from Bobby, she questioned, "And you're following up on both? Have people looking for them?"

Carolyn nodded. She assured Alex, "Of course. We have some people trying to track them down now. We just wanted to give you an update."

Alex sighed. Taking Bobby's hand again, she gratefully replied, "Thank you." After a moment, she added, "I ran into Mullen and Harrison downstairs. They had a couple of questions still. They said they talked to David."

Mike sat up in his seat. He assured her, "Yeah, they did. We ran into them. We didn't tell them what we were there for though. You OK? What did they want?"

Alex smiled in appreciation. She nodded. "I'm fine, Mike, but thanks." She sighed. Anyway, they wanted a few details on last night and the message I left on Bobby's machine."

Mike looked dubious. "What was the message?"

Alex sighed. This would be the second time she had to give this story, only this time she gave the details. As she finished, she threw a glance to Mike, asking if he had any other questions.

Mike shook his head, letting her know he was done. He watched visibly relax. He internally sighed, wishing like hell that Bobby would wake up already.

Watching Alex watch Bobby, Carolyn glanced over at Mike. He was getting restless. He needed something to sink his teeth into. She suggested, "Why don't we go check on those canvases?"

Mike nodded. He gratefully got up from his seat. He quietly replied, "Yeah…"

Deakins shifted in his seat. Watching his two detectives, he replied, "Be careful with this. We're going to have to get a hold of the Atlantic City Police Department."

Carolyn nodded. He assured Deakins. "Don't worry. We've already put a call out. They're going to get back to us any time now about Stryker."

Alex gratefully listened as they headed for the door. She gave Bobby's hand a light squeeze. She was about to say something when she felt the weakest of squeezes from Bobby. Startled, she froze. Sitting up straight, she called out, "He squeezed my hand. He's waking up."


	13. The Calm

Brother's Keeper: Ch. 13

By: The Confused One

A/N: Here's the next chapter. It's nothing too exciting, and I hope it doesn't completely disappoint. Things are really going to pick up again in the next chapter. Please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks.

Everyone's attention was immediately on Alex. Getting up, Lewis suggested, "I'll…get a nurse."

Alex nodded. "Thank you, Lewis." Focusing on Bobby, she squeezed his hand. Relief flooded her. He was waking up. "Come on, Bobby. That's it. It's time to open your eyes."

Bobby groaned almost inaudibly. His eyes fluttered open. He closed them again, against the brightness of the light. Turning his head away, he opened them again. As they began to focus, he became conscious of the pain he felt everywhere, but he also became aware of the voices. He recognized Alex's voice. Focusing on her, he relaxed a little. He was completely confused and felt completely disoriented. He moved to speak, but even he realized it came out as muffled garbage.

Alex shook her head. She could tell that he was starting to get agitated. "Bobby, it's OK. You're in the hospital. You had some visitors this morning. They broke your jaw. It's wired shut. You fell through your table, and you have stitches everywhere. Your lung started collapsing. There's a tube in there now, keeping it from doing that. Do you remember this morning?"

As she talked it started to come back to him. Relaxing again, he was relieved to see that she was safe. That's what mattered to him at this point. He nodded slowly.

Finally able to focus enough, he scanned the room. Seeing the other relieved faces in the room, he suddenly became very aware of his hand in Alex's. Worried, he looked down at their hands.

Watching him, Alex shook her head. "It's OK. They all know. Just relax. Take it easy. Lewis went to get a nurse."

Bobby looked up at her. He was beyond grateful to see her, to have her. He studied her face. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for.

Alex nodded. He didn't know what he was looking for, but Alex did. She spoke quietly, "I'm fine, Bobby. I didn't even see them, and yes, _we're_ OK. I don't blame you, and I'm not going anywhere." Seeing the questioning look in his eyes, she explained, "I told them everything. They needed to know. We'll talk more about it later."

Before Bobby could respond, Lewis and the nurse walked in. She set about checking Bobby over. Seeing he was in pain, she injected some pain medication into his IV. She explained, "He'll probably be out in just a few minutes, and he should stay asleep all night."

Alex nodded, accepting this. "Thank you." She watched the nurse leave the room. Relieved, she turned her attention back to Bobby. Sitting back down, she assured him, "It's alright. Go ahead and go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

Bobby shook his head. He was sure he needed to do this before he went to sleep. He managed to say, "Paper…"

Deakins asked, "What?"

Alex explained, "He wants paper and a pen." Seeing Lewis looking for a pen and some paper, she turned her attention back to Bobby. "Bobby, I don't understand…"

Lewis handed him the paper and pen. "Here you go, Bobby."

Despite his condition, Bobby weakly wrote: You'll need this. 3 men. Jumped me at my door. Never gave any names. The leader was six feet, brown eyes, blonde hair, and crew cut. Five feet and ten inches, brown eyes, and brown hair. Six feet and two inches, green eyes, and brown hair.

Alex sighed. _Always thinking like a cop._ She took it and handed it to Mike. "You didn't need to do that yet, but you're right. They need it."

Looking it over, Mike ventured, "Any distinguishing marks?"

Bobby shook his head no.

Alex nodded. She put her hand on his arm. She assured him, "That's OK. That's enough for now. Close your eyes and go to sleep."

Bobby swallowed hard. Meeting her eyes for a moment, he relented. Closing his eyes, he sighed. He was out in seconds.

Alex closed her eyes. She was just so grateful to see his eyes again, to hear his voice at all. He was going to be OK. That was what mattered to Alex. With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair to get comfortable. She wasn't planning to move for the rest of the night.

Mike looked over the piece of paper again. Looking at Deakins, he explained, "We're going to check in and give them this."

Deakins nodded. "Go ahead."

Turning to look at them, Alex called after them. "Mike, Carolyn…" When they stopped, she smiled. "Really, thank you."

Carolyn smiled. She nodded. "Your welcome."

Watching them leave, Alex sighed again. She moved, trying to get comfortable. She hated hospital chairs.

Lewis exchanged a look with Deakins. He cautiously ventured, "Alex, the nurse said he's going to be out all night. Are you really going to stay?"

Alex nodded. "Of course I am. I'm not leaving him alone."

Deakins had suspected as much. He sighed. There was no way anyone was making her leave for the night. She was still too worried. He'd just have to try to get her to go home and get some real sleep tomorrow. He'd have better luck. "OK. I'll come by in the morning."

Alex nodded. She looked up at Deakins. "Thank you, Captain." After watching Deakins leave, she turned to Lewis. "You don't have to stay, Lewis. We'll be fine. I just have to stay with him."

Lewis smiled. "You kicking me out?"

Alex smiled back. She shook her head. "No. I just know you have better things to do then watch him breathe."

Lewis pointed out, "So do you."

Alex shook her head. "No, I don't. I almost lost him today. I'm just so grateful that he's still here with me."

Lewis nodded in understanding. He put his hand on her arm. "I'm glad you got him to talk to you. I kept telling him you wouldn't blame him, but he blames himself, so he couldn't see that."

Alex sighed. Watching Bobby, she nodded. "He thinks he's responsible for the whole world."

Lewis nodded. "He really does." Lewis sighed. "I guess I'll get out of your hair." Removing his hand, he assured her, "He's going to be OK, Alex, and I'll call in the morning."

Alex nodded. "Thanks, Lewis. Night." Watching him leave, she turned back to Bobby. She sighed. "You have no idea how badly you scared me today. I love you so much." She curled up on the chair and watched him. Her eyes finally slid shut, and she slept restlessly.


	14. Footsteps

Brother's Keeper: Ch. 14

By: The Confused One

A/N: YAY The alerts work again, and this chapter is finally finished. Thank you, Sassy, for the beta work. I really appreciate it. Please enjoy the chapter, and remember to review. Thanks.

Curled up in the chair, Alex continued to watch Bobby sleep. She found the steady rhythm of his breathing comforting. She looked out the window. The day was starting. She thought about calling Mike and Carolyn to get an update. She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock at the door. Looking to see who it was, she smiled weakly. "Hey…"

Deakins smiled in return and walked all the way in. "How is he doing?"

Alex looked back at Bobby. "He's doing OK. He's been a little…restless at times, but he's slept through the night."

Deakins nodded. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he suggested, "You should really go home and get a little sleep yourself. You're no good to him exhausted like this, and he's not going to be alone. I'll stay for a little while, and Mike and Carolyn wanted to come by…"

Alex closed her eyes. She was still hesitant to leave him. She didn't want him to wake up without her. She sighed softly and was about to speak, when another voice interrupted, "Go…"

Alex instantly looked over at Bobby. He was watching her. Giving him a weak smile, she spoke softly. "Hey… We didn't wake you, did we?" She was hoping to avoid the subject.

Bobby shook his head. He refused to let her change the subject. He insisted, "Go…home…and…sleep."

Alex started to protest, "I'm really OK…"

Almost pleading, Bobby quietly interrupted, "Please…" He was worried about her. He didn't want her sacrificing her own health and well-being for him.

Alex closed her eyes softly. She couldn't fight both of them. She put her hands up and conceded. "Alright. Alright, I'll go home."

Relieved, Deakins replied, "Good. He'll be fine. I promise."

Alex finally nodded. Looking at Bobby, she took his hand again. She sighed softly. "I'll be back in a little while."

Bobby nodded. He gave her hand a soft squeeze. "I know…"

Alex sighed again. Finally letting his hand go, she bent down and kissed his forehead. Grabbing her things, she left without another word.

Deakins looked at Bobby. Furrowing his brow, he ventured, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

Whatever they had given him was still working. He had a little a little pain, but it was still bearable for the moment. He assured Deakins, "I'm OK…"

With a sigh, Deakins took the seat Alex had just been occupying. He pulled out The New York Times and Car and Driver. Meeting Bobby's eyes, he offered, "I thought you might appreciate the paper and a magazine."

Bobby managed the best imitation of a smile that he could under the circumstances. He nodded quickly. "Thank…you."

Deakins nodded. Handing Bobby the paper first, he replied, "You're welcome." Sitting back, he watched Bobby carefully manage to thumb through the paper. He smiled. Bobby was nothing if not stubborn and independant. Settling back in the seat, he opened the magazine and began thumbing through it.

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Carolyn sipped her coffee. Hanging up, she sighed. Leaning back in her seat, she met Mike's eyes. She sadly replied, "Nothing yet. Not even with the descriptions."

Mike sighed. Frustrated, he scrubbed his face with his hand. "We're getting nowhere."

Carolyn nodded in agreement. She was about to speak again when her phone rang again. With a sigh, she picked it up. "Barek."

Opening a file, Detective Anthony Vargas answered quickly, "Detective Barek, I'm Detective Anthony Vargas from Atlantic City vice. You can call me Tony. My partner, Fawkes, and I have been investigating Stryker for about a year. We were told that you and your partner, Logan, are looking for him?"

Carolyn smiled. She shot a nod to Mike. Focusing on the call, Carolyn replied, "Yes. Yes, we are. We believe an associate of his was involved in a beating of a fellow cop and an attempted murder."

Tony snorted. "Wouldn't surprise me…" He sighed. "Look, we'll do our best and track him down for you if you need us to."

Carolyn nodded. "That would be appreciated. We need to talk to him."

With a nod, Tony assured her, "We'll let you know when we find him."

Relieved, Carolyn replied, "Great. Thank you…"

Tony smiled. Hanging up, he looked up and looked at his partner. "We need to go find Stryker."

Raising his eyebrows, Macon smiled in return. "Well, I guess we can start with his cousin's casino."

Getting up, Tony nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking." Grabbing his things, he smiled.

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Laying the phone down, Carolyn grinned at Mike. "That was a Detective Vargas from Atlantic City. He and his partner are going to track Stryker down for us."

Mike smiled at this news. "Good. That's the best news I've heard all day."

Carolyn laughed. "It's still morning, Mike. I doubt you've gotten much news good or bad."

Mike smirked and flipped a page on a report. Looking back down at it, he replied, "While you were getting coffee, Deakins called. He convinced Eames to go home and get some real sleep. He wants us to go on over to the hospital in a couple of hours."

Carolyn nodded. Looking back down at her own paperwork, she agreed, "That's fine."

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Driving home, Alex realized how tired she actually was. The chair had been excruciating. She grudgingly admitted that Bobby and Deakins had been right. She needed sleep. She wouldn't be any good to Bobby tired. After a few hours of sleep she'd be able to get back to him and help find the guys behind this whole mess.

She pulled into her driveway. Grabbing her things, she got out of her car with a sigh. She got her mail and headed inside. Polly squawked happily. Alex smiled as she put her mail down. "Morning, Polly. You miss me last night?" Looking up, Alex watched her move around her cage for a moment. Hearing another noise, she wrote it off. She continued speaking, "Give me just a second, and I'll get your food…"

Heading to the kitchen, she heard the noise again. This time she was sure. It was footsteps, and they were coming up behind her. Without looking behind her, her adrenalin began flowing. Without thinking, she broke out in a run towards her bedroom. She had to reach her bedroom. She just had to reach the spare gun that she kept there.


	15. Kidnapping

Brother's Keeper: Ch. 15

By: The Confused One

A/N: I know it's been forever since I've updated, and I'm very sorry. I have no excuse besides the fact that I'm not the least bit organized or focused. LOL I need to discipline myself. I know. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks.

Ken Harrison had come in early. Something just felt wrong, and he wanted answers about his partner. Taking advantage of the quiet, he grabbed a cup of coffee and grabbed the phone. He called the records room and had Dillon Mullen's file sent up.

Ken waited a little impatiently, but the file finally arrived, and he began looking through it. So far there was nothing, but he wasn't about to give up. He sighed softly and closed it when Dillon walked in. He smiled at his partner, and placed it under some other files. "Morning."

Dillon frowned. Taking a sip of his coffee, he sighed and leaned back in his seat. "You're early…"

Ken nodded. "Thought I'd get some paperwork done." He glanced at the phone. Looking back up at Dillon, he ventured, "Did you call Atlantic City?" Dillon had promised to.

Dillon looked up and nodded. "Of course. We're just waiting for them to get back to us now." Seeing Ken nod, Dillon went back to his paperwork.

Ken tapped his pen on a file and watched Dillon for a moment. He no longer trusted him. He'd been jumpy since this case started. Something was wrong. With a sigh, he looked back down at the case file on Bobby and got back to work. He'd call Atlantic City himself when Dillon got up.

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Sitting there, trying to read, Bobby found himself glancing at Deakins. He couldn't concentrate on anything. There was too much on his mind. Too many things he was worried about. He was so distracted, any pain he was in was barely registering.

He had no idea where exactly things stood between him and Alex, and that bothered him. He knew she loved him, and he loved her. But they hadn't had a chance to talk, and they wouldn't for some time, because of the wire. She had told Deakins, Mike, and Carolyn, though. He was convinced that that meant something. It had to.

The other prevalent thought running through Bobby's head was Alex's safety. The longer she was gone, the more time he had to think. These guys weren't above attacking him, obviously. He wouldn't put it past them to go after her either. But he had insulated her enough, right? He had disinterested them enough about her, right? They wouldn't even know she existed. They wouldn't go looking for her. Surely.

Trying to dislodge those thoughts, Bobby glanced at Deakins again. He had been good about all of this, surprisingly good. Bobby sighed softly. He was grateful. Things could be so much worse. He had a lot to be grateful for. Deakins, Mike, and Carolyn were just three of them. He wasn't sure he had done anything to deserve such loyalty from his friends, but right now, he'd take it. He needed the help. These guys had to be found and stopped. Things would only escalate, if they got desperate. They were already after him.

Deakins looked up, noting how Bobby kept looking his way. Bobby's mind was obviously going a million miles a minute. Concerned, he ventured, "What's wrong, Bobby?"

Brought out of his thoughts, Bobby thought about it a moment. He finally ventured, "Eames…"

Furrowing his brow, Deakins put his magazine down. "What about her?"

Bobby glanced at the door. "Was it…a good…idea…to send her…home?"

Not following and barely understanding him, Deakins shook his head. "She's fine, Bobby. She needed some real rest."

Bobby nodded. Deakins was right. He couldn't be selfish and let his fears overrun his better judgment. Trying to push his fears aside, he tried to relax. Looking back down at the newspaper he had in his hand now, he tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something else was about to happen and about to happen to Alex.

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Reaching her bedroom, Alex was sure she was going to make it. Out of nowhere she felt a large body slam into her from her side. Hitting the ground hard, she cried out. Searing pain went up her side, but she ignored it. With a grunt, she punched her attacker hard in the face and tried to get out from under them.

Grabbing her arms, Chris pinned her down. Leaning forward, he hissed into her ear, "Stop struggling."

Ignoring him, she continuing to fight and squirm under him. "Who are you? What do you want?" She met his eyes and decided they were two of the coldest brown eyes she had ever seen. They were absolutely nothing like Bobby's. She only allowed herself a moment of fear before struggling further.

Chris struggled to keep control over her. He growled, "We just want you, so you can get our money back." They weren't planning on hurting her, much.

Alex suddenly understood exactly what was going on. Glaring daggers at Chris, Alex spat, "Like hell I am." She kneed him. Ignoring his cry of pain, she was able to wiggle out from his grasp and scrambled to her feet.

Looking down at Chris, she didn't see it coming. The only thing that registered was the blinding pain, as her head snapped to the side and she fell back against the dresser. Breathing hard she looked up and realized all three of them were there. She defiantly snarled, "You're not using me to get what you want. I'm not going to tell him to give you the money. You can just forget about using me to deliver your message."

Joey laughed a mirthless laugh. Walking over to her, he shook his head and stroked her cheek. "I don't need you to tell him anything, sweetheart. I just need you, period."

Alex turned her head away from him. A cold chill came over her as she realized what he meant. They weren't taking her anywhere without a fight. Immediately launching herself to the nightstand, she was running on adrenalin and hope that she could still reach that gun.

Joey stepped in her way and pushed her back to the dresser. He snarled, "What is it you're so desperate to get to? What were you coming for in here? Hmm?"

Alex glared daggers at him. She lamely insisted, "Nothing."

Joey slapped her. "It's not nice to lie to people." He smirked. "Let's just find out." He moved away from her and headed over to her bed.

Alex made a move to stop him again, but Chris was off the floor now. Grabbing her arm, he wrenched it behind her back. When she struggled, he shoved her to the ground. He kicked her. "That is for kneeing me." Moving to the floor, he turned her over onto her stomach. Sitting on top of her, he looked at John.

Alex grunted. Fighting against the pain she was in, Alex tried to get Chris off of her. She watched as Joey moved her mattress around. He playfully replied, "Well, there's nothing there…"

Alex's attention was immediately diverted when she saw the rope in John's hand. He handed it to Chris. Feeling the rope against her skin, Alex fought harder. Chris would have none of it. He tightened his grip as he finished tying her hands. John shook his head. "Fighting us is just going to cause you more pain."

Alex rolled her eyes and sneered, "I think I'll be the judge of that." She tried to flex her wrists, but her hands were tied tight.

Chris moved off of her. He dragged her to her feet and really took her in. "No wonder he likes you. You are a feisty one. Pretty too." He stroked her cheek.

John noted the disgusted look on Alex's face. Watching her turn her head away from Chris, he shook his head. "Leave her alone, man."

Ignoring all of them, Joey finally opened the drawer to her nightstand. His eyes lit up and he smirked. He turned to face Alex, who was watching with steely eyes. "So this is what you were trying to get to."

Alex's blood ran cold. She now had absolutely no leverage. Her hands were tied. She was outnumbered, and they had her gun. Staring him down, true fear gripped her, but she refused to show it. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She stubbornly insisted, "He's not going to give you money for me."

Joey laughed and shook his head. He walked past her and picked up one of the fallen pictures from her dresser. "I would have to disagree on that one. You two seem pretty…cozy here. You know what he told us though? He told us you were a good fuck and nothing more. Didn't even mention that you worked together. Just slipped his mind."

Under other circumstances she would have laughed. She knew exactly why Bobby had said what he said. He was trying to protect her again. As it was, her mouth twitched into the beginnings of a smile. "Yeah, he's bad about that. Forgets the important details. Absolutely drives me crazy."

Disgusted and annoyed, Joey threw the picture down, shattering the glass. "Laugh it up while you can. You won't for long." He looked at Chris and John. "Let's go."

Alex watched Chris grin. He gripped her arm hard, sending pain through her body. She fought not to react. She stubbornly drug her feet. Hearing the gun cock behind her though, she knew she didn't have much of a choice but to do as they said.


End file.
